Dry cleaning apparatus



Feb. 6, 1940. w. w. CARRIER ET AL DRY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8,1938 Ell S W] "21 25%| Even/Z0715 AZZarneas Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.-

DRY CLEANING APPARATUS Application August 8, 1938, Serial No. 223,680

I 1 Claim.

Our invention relates to dry cleaning apparatus and particularly to suchapparatus including means for continuously filtering cleaning fluidcontained therein.

' In ordinary dry cleaning apparatus the cleaning fluid therein becomescontaminated with dirt and lint during the first portion of a cleaningoperation and hence the last part of a cleaning operation either isrelatively ineffective or else necessitates replacement of thecontaminated cleaning fluid with fresh cleaning fluid.

An object of our invention is to provide dry cleaning apparatus whereinarticles being cleaned are subjected to continually clean and clearlo'cleaning fluid throughout a cleaning operation.

A more specific object is to provide dry cleaning apparatus includingmeans for continuously removing dirt and lint from cleaning fluid in usetherein and continuously clarifying the fluid.

20- Another objectis to provide suchapparatus including a filter forfiltering the cleaning fluid therein and pumping means for continuouslycirculating the cleaning fluid through the filter.

Still another object is to provide such appa- 25 ratus having a filterof particularly eifective construction which is adapted for containing afluid-clarifying agent therewithin and which is particularly convenientand easy to clean and service.

Yet another object is to provide such apparatus having a lint trapincluded therein.

A further object is to provide such apparatus of light, compact, simple,durable and inexpensive construction.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be morefully set forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which like referprovided with a pressure gauge13 to provide ence characters refer to similar parts throughout a) theseveral views, and, in which:

, Fig. 1 is a general vertical view of an embodiment of our inventionwith certain portionsthereof cut away to appear in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken along "the line 22 of Fig. 1as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a retaining ring in- Referring to thedrawing, the letter A indiicates a washing machineof conventional designincluding the usual tub or tank for containing articles to be cleanedand cleaning fluid. In accordance with our invention the tank 4 isprovided with a fluid inlet element 5 on the side thereof and a fluidoutlet element 6 in the bottom 5 thereof.

In connection with the fluid inlet 5 and the fluid outlet 6 we providemeans for filtering cleaning fluid used in the tank 4 and means forcontinuously circulating the fluid out of the out- 10 let 6 through ourfiltering means and back into the tank 4 through the fluid inlet 5.

The embodiment of our cleaning fluid filter illustrated in the drawingincludes a casing C having an outer vertically disposed cylindricalportion 'l. The upper end of the cylindrical portion (is open but may beclosed by means of a cover or closure plate 8.' The marginal portion 1is secured as by means of bolts?! to an annular flange Ill provided onthe upper end of the cylindrical portion 1 and projecting radiallyoutwardly therefrom. I

Within the interior space of the cylindrical portion 1 is an upstandingcylindrical member II which may consist of a tubular portion Ila havingat its upper end a circular closure lib. The lower end of the tubularelement li a is connected to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 1by means of a flat annular element l2 which-is secured and sealed at itsrespective inner and outer edges to the tubular element Ho and thecylindrical portion 1. The cylindrical element 1, top closure 8,upstanding cylindrical v member II, and annular element I2 togetherdefine a chamber having a U-shaped diametrical cross-section. Preferablythe closure Ilb of the cylindrical member II is spaced a slight distancebelow the top cover 8. The top cover 8 may be indication of the pressurein the chamber described above.

Within the chamber B we provide means for filtering cleaning fluid-usedin the tank 4. The I filtering means consists principally of a sack 14which is constructed of flexible reticulated sheet material and ispreferably of tubular form with one endthereof open and the other endthereof closed. When the sack I4 is in normal position, the closed endthereof rests upon the upper end of the cylindrical member II. The freeedge portion of the sack I4 is removably attached to the upper portionof the internal periphery of the cylindrical portion 1 of the apparatus.The length of the sack I4 is such that the medial portion of the sackwill depend from the top' of 5 the cylindrical member I! and the pointof removable attachment to the cylindrical portion 1 into the annularspace between the cylindrical member ii and the cylindrical portion 1 toform an annular open topped pocket.

We provide means for maintaining the pocket formed by the sack it inspaced relation with the tubular portion i la of the cylindrical memberI I and the cylindrical portion 1 of the apparatus. For this purpose Weprovide a basket disposed within the chamber B and so associated withthe sack M as to maintain the same in spaced relation with the tubularmember Ha and cylindrical member 7. The basket includes two members i5and 55a formed of relatively rigid reticulated material such as heavywire screen and shaped to correspond respectively with the shapes of theinner and outer sides of the sack l4 when the same is in normal positionas described above. The member 55 is positioned relative to the sack B4to lay against the inner side thereof or, in other words, to be disposedat the side of the material forming the sack [4 toward the top and sidewalls of the cylindrical member I! and the member lfia is of tubularshape to lie between the outer side of the sack l4 and the cylindricalportion 7. The combination of the sack l4 and the member l5 rests at theclosed upper end thereof on the upper end of the cylindrical member Hand the lower edges of both of the members l5 and 55a rest upon theelement I2 of the tank.

Means is provided for supporting and re-inforcing the lower end of thesack l4 and also aifording an unobstructed annular passage leading fromall parts of the lower portion of the tank to the tank outlet 29. Anannular, inverted channel-shaped member IE1) is placed between the lowermarginal portions of the reticulated members and iEa as shown best inFig. 1 and rests at its free edges on the bottom member l2 of the tank.As shown in Fig. 4, each of the flanges of the member 15b is cut away toprovide an annular series of spaced notches I50 therein. The notches 15cenable passage of fluid from the space between the sack I 4 and theinterior surfaces of the tank into the interior space of the member I51)for flow therethrough to the tank outlet 29. The reticulated members l5and 5a and the channel member I51) together comprise a basket forcontaining and reinforcing the filter bag !4 to prevent bulging thereofand engagement thereof with the tubular member i la and the cylindricalmember 1.

The free edge portion of the sack i4 is removably anchored to the upperportion of the interior periphery of the cylindrical member 7 above theupper limit of the reticulated member l5a by means of an expansive ringI6 positioned as indicated in Figs. 1 and a and constructed as best seenin Fig. 3. The ring it is severed at one point therealong to form asplit 16a therein whereby the circumference of the ring l6 may bevaried. The split lfia may be diagonally disposed as shown in Fig. 3 ifdesired. Means is provided for resiliently urging the severed ends ofthe ring 1] G defining the split [6a apart so as to increase thecircumference of the ring I6. The resilient means may consist of ahelical compression spring ll placed in somewhat compressed conditionbetween lugs l8 and i9 formed on the ring it at opposite sides of thesplit lBa. With the sack it placed as shown in Fig. 1 the ring H3 may becompressed to its minimum circumference, placed in the position thereofshown pocket formed by the sack in Fig. l, and released whereupon thering l6 will expand outwardly to press the sack [4, at its upper edgeportion, into firm frictional engagement with the internal periphery ofthe cylindrical member I. As best shown in Fig. 4, the sack I4 isprovided in its marginal portion with a pair of spaced annular elementsMa and [4b formed preferably of ropes suitably secured to the sack anddisposed respectively above and below the portion of the sack l4normally engaged by the clamping ring l6.

Means is provided for delivering fluid into the [4 to be filteredthrough the material of which the sack I4 is formed. Means is alsoprovided for conducting filtered fluid from the lowermost portion of thechamber B. Sections of piping or conduits 20, 2|, and 22 form a pathfrom the outlet element 6 of the tank 4 to an inlet fitting 23communicating, as shown, with the upper portion of the chamber B in suchposition as to deliver fluid from the bottom of the tank 4 into thepocket formed by the sack M. A fluid pump 24 is connected between theconduit sections 2! and 22 for pumping fluid from the bottom of the tank4 into the pocket formed by the sack Id. The pump 24 is driven bysuitable means such as the belt 25 by a source of rotary mechanicalpower such as the motor 26. The pump 24 and motor 26 may be mounted on ashelf 2'. supported from legs 28 which extend downwardly from thecylindrical portion l of the apparatus. The lower portion of the chamberB is provided with an outlet element 29 carried by a suitably aperturedpart of the annular element I2. The outlet element 29 is connected to asection of conduit 30 which extends vertically and exterior-1y of thecylindrical member 1 to a point adjacent the upper end of thecylindrical member I. The upper end of the conduit 30 is connectedthrough a downwardly extending section of conduit 3! to the inletfitting 5 of the tank 4. Obviously fluid delivered through the chamber Bby means of the pump 24 will pass through the conduits 30 and 3| intothe tank 4 of the washing machine A. A drain valve 32 may be provided onthe lowest portion of the conduit 30 and a stop valve 33 may beinterposed between the conduits 30 and 3|. Another stop valve 34 may beinterposed between the conduit 22 and the inlet fitting 23 at the upperportion of the cylindrical member I.

For removal of lint from fluid leaving the outlet element 6 of the tank4 a lint trap 35 is provided. The lint trap 35 consists of a casindefining a chamber 36, the upper end of which is connected to theconduit 2i and the lower end of which is connected to the conduit 2|.The upper end of the lint trap may be provided with a movable closure31. Within the lint trap 35 there is provided a screen 38 through whichfluid must flow in passing through the lint trap 35 from the conduit 20to the conduit 2!. If desired a stop valve 39 may be interposed betweenthe conduit 20 and the inlet of the lint trap 35.

In operation of the above described apparatus, articles to be cleanedand cleaning fluid are placed in the tank 4 of the washing-machine A.Sufiicient cleaning fluid may be placed in the described apparatus tofill the conduits 2Q, 2| and 22 up to a suitable level and also fill thechamber B up to a suitable level. The washingmachine A is placed inoperation and the motor 26 is placed in operation to drive the pump 24.

' changes may be made in the form, details; con- I Obviously cleaningfluid will be-continuously circulated and re-circulated from the tank 4through the pump 24 and the filtering apparatus thereafter and back intothe tank 4, Thusthc fluid in the tank t will be continuously cleaned bythe filtering apparatus and lint from articles being cleaned in the tank4 will be caught on the screen 38 of the lint trap 35.

Our filter bag I4, when disposed in its normal,

position in our apparatus, is particularly adapted for containing anagent such as clarifying powder for clarifying thecleaning fluid wherebythe cleaning fluid will be continually clarified in addition to beingcontinually filtered. During the a process of cleaning fabrics .or otherarticles with my apparatus, the articles to be cleaned will beconstantly subjected to clean filtered and clarifiedcleaning fluidrather than being subjected,

as in the ordinary dry cleaning process, to cleaning fluid whichcontains dirt and lint from the articles being cleaned.

It is apparent that we have invented a novel,

effective, compact, light, and inexpensiveap-paratus capable of carryingon a particularly efficient dry cleaning process producing an improvedresult. I

While the filtering apparatus comprising a part of our cleaning systemhas been illustrated and described as applied to use in connection withdry cleaning, it is to be understood that our filtering apparatus isreadily adaptable 'foruse in filtering many kinds of liquidsused in manytypesof apparatus.

It will, of course, be understood that various A filter including avertically disposed cylindrical casing, a cylindrical member disposedwithin said casing and extending from the bottom thereof to a pointadjacent the, top thereof to form an annular chamber defined by saidcasing and said member, a tubular filtering element substantially longerand somewhat larger in diameter than said member, formed of flexiblereticulated sheet, material, and having one end thereof closed, saidfiltering element being disposedwithin said chamber with the closed endthereof restingupon the upper end of said mem her and the openendthereof supportedfrom the inner side of said casing adjacent the upperend thereof whereby the medial portion of said element will depend toform an annular, opentopped pocket disposed'in said chamber, means forconducting fluid to be filtered into said pocket to be filtered throughthe material thereof, and an annular member interposed between thebottoms of said pocket and said casing and having an annular interiorspace therewithin, said annular member having therein an annular seriesof openings for accommodating] passage of fluid from said chamber intosaid interior space and said casing having a fluid outlet in communica--tion with said interior space.

WORTI-IY 'W; CARRIER.

CHARLES VICTOR.

